A Beautiful Mess
by Crystal Rose Heart
Summary: For the last three weeks of so, Mercedes had been having nighmares about a man attacking her. What happends when her dreams come true and she finds herself in a place where people she though only existed in books turn out to be real?
1. Introducing Mercedes

Disclaimer: I don't own them. They aren't mine. However, Mercedes, WindSong and Riley are mine. You can't have them.  
  
Author's notes: I know this idea has been done to death, but I couldn't help it. It's all my brother and muse's fault. My brother bought me the 'Lord of The Rings' books for my birthday, and so I've had LoTR on my mind for the past few weeks. And I'll admit it; I've been reading the FF on this site. The two, combined with my muse (who had a mind of her own) decided that I should branch out and try my hand at this fandom. This is the result. I hope you like it.  
  
Any and all mistakes are mine. While I have a muse, reviewers are hard to come by. All flames will be used to cook marshmallows in my back yard with the Fellowship.  
  
  
  
  
  
*~*~*~*-^_^-*~*~*~*  
  
A Beautiful Mess  
  
*~*~*~*-^_^-*~*~*~*  
  
  
  
  
  
It wasn't dark. It wasn't raining. It wasn't some back alley in a city, or some red light district. It was the middle of the day on a Friday afternoon. There were crowds of people, walking not twenty feet from where she parked. There was no reason for Mercedes Georgia O'Connell, Meg to her friends, to doubt that she shouldn't walk to her car alone.  
  
She had just finished her weekly grocery shopping, and was making her way to her new Jeep she had just bought. She loved it. Midnight Blue, it had a tan cloth cover for the back seats, but what with it being the middle of summer, she loved to feel the wind in her hair, and the sun on her face. Not to mention, it was far easier for her and her girlfriends to checkout cute guys that way.  
  
She had just finished putting the last bag in the back seat when an ape- sized arm wrapped it's self around her middle and lifted her clear off the ground. It's twin's hand reached up to cover her mouth, but it was so massive it managed to cover her entire lower half of her head, from the bridge of her nose to under her jaw, and ear to ear.  
  
Whoever it was, they were massive. Mercedes stood at an even six feet, and weighed 140 lbs dry, but it was all muscle, and she couldn't even move her head a quarter an inch. She tried to scream for help, but her throat had closed up, and only a low whisper of a moan pushed it's way through her vocal cords.  
  
In response, the man drove her face first down the alley in front of her Jeep that she would have swore wasn't there yesterday. A dumpster that she also didn't remember blocked her from view of the parking lot to her right. There would be no help from the left, the only thing there was a garage, and it was closed this time of the week.  
  
She knew what was going to happen. It was flashing in fifty-foot neon letters in the back of her mind. And she also knew that even though she was skilled in self-defense, and could handle a stave like a master, she was truly and royally sunk. Just as she was about to slam face first into the wall..  
  
.She sat up strait in bed, breath coming in loud gasps, sweat covering her face, and shaking like a cube of Jello. Taking a deep breath, Mercedes reached over and turned on the light next to the bed, and took a good look at her Pooh and Friends sleepy time alarm clock. 2:51 in the morning. Nine minutes until three, and then another three and a half hours until she had to get up and get ready for work.  
  
Leaving the light on, Mercedes slipped out of bed, care full not to wake Riley who was, as usual, sprawled across the end of her mistresses bed. At the tender age of two years old, the large German Shepherd already promised to be a monster. Her paws were nearly double the size of her palm, and she was at least 145 lbs. Fiercely loyal, she defended her with a devotion that few could match. She had already scared away two would be burglars, and one morning Mercedes found her sitting on the back porch, chewing on a tennis shoe who's tread matched those that were found under her window. The local police had yet to figure out whose shoe it was, but Mercedes was reasonably sure that they wouldn't be coming back.  
  
Making her way into the kitchen, Mercedes flicked on one of the lights that hung over the center island and reached for her favorite mug that was hanging next to the kettle. Filling it up with water, she dropped in a tea bag and popped it in the microwave for a minute thirty. The sound must have woke Riley, because a moment later, her paws could be heard clacking on the hardwood floors that filled her entire house, save for the bathrooms and a sunken in area in front of her fire place in the bottom half of her house.  
  
Mercedes loved her house. It sat on a hill, over looking a lake. One of her favorite things was to stand on her deck at dusk, and watch the sun sink behind the western hills. The sky would turn all different hues of reds, oranges, pinks and purples. That, and watching as thunderstorms danced there was across the lake. There were numerous shots of sunsets and lightning strikes scattered around the house.  
  
Hearing the beep on the microwave, she grabbed her cup just as Riley made her way down the stairs and over to the couch. She was used to her mistress waking up in the middle of the night, and had become used to the routine of after nightmare let down. Depending on how bad the nightmare way, her owner could very well spend the rest of the night just sitting on the couch rather than going back to sleep. Looking over the back of the couch, she sighed. No more sleep tonight for Mercedes.  
  
Sipping slowly, Mercedes made her way over to her weapon's case. It wasn't the normal kind of weapons you would expect to find in such a case. There were no guns, but bows, arrows, throwing knives, and a sword or two. You see, Mercedes worked at the local King Richard's fair on the weekends. She played the part of Marion, Robin of Loxley's not-so-fair maiden. A lot of people got a kick out of the fact that this Maid Marion could lay you flat on your back in ten second's flat, shoot a bow as well as her Lord, and could pin a leaf in your hand to a tree with one of her throwing knives at a hundred paces.  
  
A lot of her friends also worked at the fair. Lyn worked as the baker's wife, and made the best bread ever. It didn't hurt that she really was the baker's wife. And no woman could asker for a better husband than Edmond. Eddy for short, he looked more like a blacksmith than a baker, but Lyn loved him all the same. And then there was Anthony, who played Meg's Robin, was taller than her, and was as good a shot with the bow as her. In fact, he was the one who got her interested in the fair in the first place. They had been dating at the time, and he invited her to go. One time was all it took. She was hooked. The music teacher (violin, acoustic guitar, and piano) now spent her weekends and summers prancing around the woods in Maine in leather and homespun cloth, a quiver of arrows over her left shoulder, a sword on his right side, a bow in her hands, and various throwing knives all over. It seemed her long slender fingers could pluck more than one kind of string.  
  
Sighing again, she walked over to her handmade bookshelves (they had been bought at the fair) and pulled out a romance novel that her friend Lyn had been trying to get her to read for ages. Something about a Viking that gets sucked through time a thousand years to the future and falls for a woman who's specially happens to be, big surprise, the Viking people. If that didn't put her out, nothing would. And who knew, maybe her next dream would be about some blond haired, blue-eyed Viking lord that would travel through time just to fall in love with her.  
  
*~*~*~*-^_^-*~*~*~*  
  
To her surprise, Mercedes loved the book. It was one of the funniest books she had read in a while, even if it was a romance. Some of the situations that the two main characters got themselves in were just downright ridiculous. And even though she hadn't gotten any more sleep, she felt better than she had in a while this soon after a nightmare. Looking at the clock, she let out a yelp. It was seven. She had twenty minutes to get dressed and out the door. It looked like Riley was going to the fair with her today.  
  
"Riley, love, get off your furry butt! Come on love, we got to get going. Mom's going to be so incredibly late." Grabbing Riley's portable bowls from the hall closet, she threw them in Riley's hiking pack/harness, as well as a length of cord, her leather leash, two zip lock bags of dog food, a tennis ball, her favorite rubber water toy (there was a lake of the fair grounds that Riley loved to swim in) and last but not least, her whistle.  
  
Racing up the stairs, Mercedes flew into the shower and jumped in while the water was still cold. Her screech was enough to convince Riley that she should get going, and the Shepherd moved off the cough and went hunting for her owner's keys. Ten minutes later, sitting by the front door, keys in her mouth, she watched her mistress slid across the hardwood floor in her socks, grabbing a leather thong from the basket next to the phone, and secured her braided hair with it as she began slipping on her boots. Two minutes, one thump, three curses, and yet another sigh later, She watched as Mercedes pulled her knives, arrows, and bow out of the cabinet. Her tail began wagging in anticipation. She was ready, why did it take the pack leader so long?  
  
"Riley, have you seen my. They're in your mouth. Have I told you lately that I love you? Come here love, let's put your bag on, then we can leave. Stand still; lift your paw, such a good girl. Let's go. Wait, need to lock the door. Kay. Now, up in the back. Sit, down, stay. Good girl. And, we're off." Mercedes said, pulling her Ford F150 truck out of her driveway and out on to the back road that would take her to the highway, and then it was a half hour drive to the fair.  
  
*~*~*~*-^_^-*~*~*~*  
  
"Lyn, love, can I leave Riley here till she's done eating? Then you can let her out. It's still early, she'll find her way over to me. Leave her harness on for now; I'll hide it behind WindSong's spare tack. We're gonna be doing the jumping course today. Which is good. I wouldn't want to get rusty." WindSong was Mercedes' Georgian Grand stallion. Standing at 17 hands high, and weighing in at around three fourths of a ton, he was a brute of a horse. But, even though he was so large, his saddlehorse background showed in his speed and agility. He was one of the fastest horses Mercedes had ever ridden (which was quite a few) and could go through an agility course as easy as a horse much smaller and could jump five and a half foot jumps and have inches to spare.  
  
"Megs, of course Riley can stay here. She is always welcome. Are you sure you can't stay for a fresh roll? They'll be ready in a few minutes, and if your hair is any indication, you didn't eat breakfast this morning." Lyn said, checking one last time on the rolls that were baking in the earthen oven in the back of her and Eddy's stall.  
  
Mercedes blushed. "Well, truth be told, I didn't get mush sleep either."  
  
"Oh Meg, did you have another nightmare? This is what, the fifth one this month. And it's only the second week. Meg, you need to talk to someone. I don't care what you say, this many dreams, and all the same, they mean something. Something bad. You can't keep living like this. The stress is beginning to show. Even Edmund's noticed the bags under your eyes, and you know how observant he his." A soft 'hey' drifted to their ears from somewhere in the back. Edmund, who had been chopping wood for the stove came in front, patted Riley on the head, kissed his wife on the cheek, and gave Meg a hug.  
  
"Hate to say it Meg, but Lyn's right. You could fit the whole of Maine in those things. Yeouch. What? It's true." Lyn and Mercedes just shook their heads and laughed while Edmund rubbed the back of his head where Lyn had whapped him with her wooden spoon.  
  
"I'd love to say, but I can't. I'm late as it is, and if I don't start tacking WindSong now, I'll never finish in time. Just stick some rolls in a cloth where Riley's food was, and I'll eat them when she gets to the stalls."  
  
"You'd better, of I'll sick Emma on you." Lyn threatened. Emma was her and Eddy's six-year-old daughter. She had been staying with her grandparents for the past two weeks.  
  
"She's back? When did she get in? Who picked her up? How is the little spore?"  
  
"Hey, I'm the only one who can call her names." Lyn joked." Mom and dad are bringing her. Their plane lands sometime around noon, and then it's a two- hour drive to the fair, and then I can see my baby girl. She's gonna be all dresses up to, just like a baker's daughter. Mom and dad to. They're taking over for Grace and Ben at the woodcarving shop for the rest of today. Oh boy, there's Tony. He must be looking for you. Quick, out the back. Cut across the gypsy platform, it'll get you to the back door of the barn that much faster." Smiling, Mercedes gave Lyn one last hug, and ducked between the oven and shelves, and took off toward the stables.  
  
*~*~*~*-^_^-*~*~*~*  
  
It was the end of the day. Mercedes, Anthony, Lyn, Edmund, Rory, one of the gypsy dancers, Becca, who worked as a barmaid in the tavern and Laurie, who was currently engaged to Anthony, and ran the petting zoo, were gathered in the stable. They were some off the last people still at the fair. It was late, and everyone was tired.  
  
"Are you sure about taking the week off Meg? I don't like the though of you being locked up in your house all alone."  
  
"Don't worry Lyn, I'm gonna be fine. Me, Riley and WindSong are gonna spend some time together. There is still so much of my land that I haven't explored, and I have the satellite tracking device and emergency beacon if anything goes wrong." She replied, slowly backing up the ramp of the horse trailer that was attached to the back of her truck. It was large enough to hold four horses, though only WindSong was going in it. It was primarily used to carry her and her friend's horses when they went on one of their trips. Securing WindSong to the side of the trailer, she fluffed the hay in the net by his head.  
  
"The question is, are you gonna remember to take it?" Becca teased, reminding them of the time Mercedes forgot to bring her house keys when she left for an overnight trip. When she came back the next day, she was locked out, and anyone who had spare keys was out of state. She had to wait till the next day for someone to come home.  
  
"Yes, I promise, as soon as I get home, I'm sticking the thing in WindSong's new saddlebags, which I love. Not to mention Riley's new collar. Her old one was ready to go to that big leather house in the sky. I need to thank Charlie and Rick for both things next time I see them. I love them. And I love how they wrote me and WindSong's name in Elvish script on the bags, and Riley's on her collar. Who cares if no one but us can read it. Tolkien knew what he was doing when he wrote the story of Middle Earth."  
  
"Have you even read any of the books I bought for you?" Anthony asked, lifting the last box of supplies into the bed of her truck. He laughed as Mercedes blushed and mumbled something about not having enough time. "Well, you're gonna have a week and a half off, counting weekends, read them now."  
  
"We'll see. At least I've seen the movie, doesn't that count?" She asked, already knowing the answer to that question. She had asked it every time this subject came up.  
  
"No," Was Lyn, Anthony, Becca, and Edmund all dead paned. They, unlike Mercedes had read the books, and they knew there were great differences between the two.  
  
Mercedes laughed. "All right I'm off. See you all in ten or so days" and with a whistle for Riley, Mercedes closed the horse trailer door closed secured it, opened the cab door, waited till Riley got in, pushed her over, and started the truck. With one final wave, she pulled off the fair grounds and drove toward home. 


	2. Doing what you have to

Disclaimer: They still aren't mine. I would love to own them, but I think I'm going to have to contend with them spending the weekend over my house, roasting marshmallows in the backyard. If you want to come, you got to last eight seconds on WindSong's back. (  
  
Author's notes: Since this is an AU, I'm going to be using parts of both the books and the movies, depending on how I feel. There are bits of the movies I like, and bits of the books I like. So I crammed the two together, along with some of my own stuff. If you don't like that, find some other story. No one's forcing you to read this. That's why it's called fan- fiction. We write what we want.  
  
And one last thing, I know Arwen is kinda out of character in my story, so before you call me on it. I did it on purpose. I'm sick of seeing her as this high-and-mighty, greater-than-though person. So, I messed with her a little. She'll be all right, I think. Might be fun watching try to be queen like this though.  
  
All mistakes are mine and mine alone. Flames will be use to light the campfire. Boromir forgot the damn matches, and Gandalf's staff is on the fritz again. Aragorn is helping Legolas and the hobbits raid the kitchen for food. If the keep this up, we're all going to weigh a ton by the end of the story.  
  
  
  
*~*~*~*-^_^-*~*~*~* A Beautiful Mess *~*~*~*-^_^-*~*~*~*  
  
  
  
"Strider! It's Master Frodo. He's been stabbed!" Sam's voice cut through the silence that had followed the ringwraith attack on Weathertop.  
  
Strider threw aside his burning branch and rushed over to where the four hobbits were gathered. Pulling the knife out of Frodo's shoulder, he suppressed a curse as the blade dissolved in his hand. " It is a Morgul- knife. An accursed blade. Its wound is far beyond my knowledge of healing. There is little I can do for him at the moment, but still I must try. Sam, do you know of Athelas, also called King's Wort?"  
  
"Aye, it is a weed that grown in gardens and likes to choke out other-" Sam said, starting on a small rant about the weed.  
  
"Never mind. Do you think you can fine me some? It has great healing power, but even that may not be enough." This last part he whispered to himself. No need to get the little ones more worried than they already were. As soon as Sam was back, he crushed the plant in his hand, breathed over it, and threw it into water that he had already boiling. Letting itit simmer a moment, then bathed Frodo's shoulder with it. He could tell it made some difference, for the lines around the hobbit's eyes seemed to lessen slightly. Smiling at the other three hobbits, he lifted Frodo up into his arms.  
  
"We need to hurry and get him to Rivendell. There, Elrond, who rules there, will be Frodo's only hope. But we need to hurry, it is many day's from here to Rivendell." And with that, Strider lifted Frodo in his arms and hurried down off of Weathertop to where Bill the pony stood waiting. And placing Frodo on the creature's back, they were off.  
  
*~*~*~*-^_^-*~*~*~*  
  
They had been traveling for a week, and luck seemed to be with them. They had found more Athelas along the way, and every time they stopped for a rest, Strider and Sam bathed Frodo's shoulder in the solution. Merry and Pippin seemed quite adept at finding the herb, and were always bringing more back.  
  
It was still a four-day journey to Rivendell, and Frodo was slowly getting worse. Though they were practically drowning him in solution, the wound's power over him was slowly getting stronger. They group had stopped to rest for a moment. Sam was in his customary position right next to Frodo's head. Merry was boiling water for when Strider and Pippin got back with more of the herb. All of a sudden, both searchers burst back into the clearing with a figure neither hobbit had ever seen before. Pippin was practically dancing in place. Who ever the figure was, she was enough to nearly send poor Pip into hysterics. Which wasn't really saying much. Sam was just about to ask pippin who she was and why he was so excited when he got a good look at her ears.  
  
"It's an elf! But what is she doing here?" he cut his musings short as the lovely she-elf looked at him and smiled, before dropping her gaze back to Frodo's wound. Her features twisted into a grimace as she looked at the wound. Lifting her Gaze from Frodo, she spoke a few quick words with Strider.  
  
What ever she said, Strider agreed, because in the next instant, he lifted the sick hobbit into his arms, and placed him in the she-elf's horse's saddle. He was just about to mount up behind Frodo when the she-elf stopped him. There was a brief argument, which the she-elf won, because in a blink of an eye, she was behind Frodo, and with a few more words to Strider, she whispered in the horse's ear and they were racing off into the night.  
  
"Where is she taking Master Frodo Strider?"  
  
"To Rivendell Sam, to Rivendell."  
  
"But, what of the wraith's? It's a four day's journey, they'll never make it."  
  
*~*~*~*-^_^-*~*~*~*  
  
Truth be told, the same thing was running through Arwen's mind, though she would never admit it. She knew the Nazgul were somewhere behind her. And she also knew that is was a four-day journey to Rivendell, if you were walking! However, she was on horse back, the fastest horse in all of Rivendell to be exact. If she hurried, and managed not to run into any trouble, the three of them could cross the river and be in her father's land before the sunset that day.  
  
They didn't run into trouble, trouble ran into them. A shriek was her first clue that her luck was beginning to run out. Turning to look behind her, she saw that four of the Nazgul were on her tail. Arwen tightened her grip on her horse's reigns, and whispered in the stallion's ear for him to run faster. She could see the canyon that marked the boundary to her land just three miles away. All she needed was to cross it, and she would be fine. Just three more miles. Easier said than done. For between her and the canyon was a forest of pine trees, and mile long stretch in which the Ringwraith's could easily catcher her with their larger, faster steeds. Chancing a look back, she let off a few elvish curses and urged her horse to go faster. All nine now rode behind her now, and if she didn't move, they were going to be on her in a few seconds.  
  
Though some luck she didn't know she had, but was eternally grateful for, she reached the woods before the Black Riders reached her. It was time to show them why she was chosen to be the one to ride looking for the approaching party. Not because of who she was, but for her skill on a horse. The chase was on.  
  
*~*~*~*-^_^-*~*~*~*  
  
Three harrowing miles later, Arwen slumped in her saddle. She wasn't quite sure they were going to cross the border there for a moment. If they hadn't gained the time they had dodging around the trees in the woods, she was sure that the Black Riders would have grabbed Frodo right out of her arms. Checking her ward, Arwen's heart stopped. He was nearly completely transformed. Tightening her arm around his middle, Arwen placed her sword back in its sheath and raced for her home as fast as her poor tired horse could manage.  
  
By the time they reached the main gate, her horse was ready to drop. Yelling who she was to the guards manning the main gate, she ordered them to open the doors and let them through. Riding right under the arch and up the main steps, Arwen ducked as the horse thundered into the main reception room of her home.  
  
"Father. Father! Come quick! It is the Ring Bearer. A Nazgul blade wounds him. That was ten or so day's ago. I can feel him slipping away. Hurry!" she cried, throwing herself from the saddle and moving aside so that one of the many elves that had rushed to see what the commotion that was taking place was could help get Frodo out of the saddle. She would have done it herself, but her arms felt like lead, and she was barley on her feet as it was. Hearing who was wounded, and how, the Rivendell elves sprung into action. Two healer elves rushed forward and lowered the poor hobbit to the floor. Pulling his shirt back, they bit back curses and motioned for another two elves to lift Frodo up and follow them. On their heels was her father and Mithrandir, who had arrived not two days ago. The look on his face told of deep feelings for the poor hobbit, and her heart broke, for she knew there was a good chance he would not last to see the sun set.  
  
*~*~*~*-^_^-*~*~*~*  
  
"He really is a remarkable person father. I though for sure that he wasn't going to make it."  
  
"If he had gotten to us so much as an hour later, and he would have." Elrond answered his daughter. The two of them were standing on the balcony on Frodo's room. For the last five days the poor hobbit had been laying in bed. Right after Elrond and Mithrandir had disappeared around the corner and out of sight, Arwen had bade several of the nearby elves to go gather her father's best warriors. As soon as they arrived, she instructed them to fully arm themselves and as soon as they were done, to go and bring Strider, Sam, Merry, and Pippin to Rivendell. Bowing, the ten Elvin warriors rushed to the armory to load up on arrows and swords before thundering out of Rivendell on their horses.  
  
That done, Arwen made her way to her room. She had not taken five steps when her twin brothers Elladan and Elrohir were upon her, bombarding her with questions. Raising her hand, she put her other to her head.  
  
"Not now brothers, for I am exhausted and ready to drop. Perhaps in the morning, or whenever I get up, I'll tell you what happened. But for now, would please just help me to my room, for at the moment, the only thing I wish to see is my bed and a pillow."  
  
Elrohir laughed and took hold of her right arm, motioning for Elladan to grab her left, the twins swung their younger sister up into their arms and began carrying her toward her room. "As the lady commands, so it shall be done." Elladan quipped, ducking as Arwen tried to kick him.  
  
"Put me down you brutes. I didn't mean that I wanted you to carry me. I may be tired, but let me assure you, I can still maim you if need be."  
  
Pushing open his sisters bedroom door, Elrohir smiled as he and Elladan locked eyes and smiled. "Then, let us not give you a chance to, even though there will be great need when we are done with you." A look of confusion closed Arwen's face until she felt herself being swung in her brother's arms. "No, no you wouldn't. Elladan. Elrohir! I'm warning you. Don't you dai- Oomph. Just you wait till I get-" but is was to late. With a parting laugh and a wave, the twins were out the door and Arwen was left sprawled face first across her bed. Shaking her head, she reached for the night shirt draped across the bottom of her bed, and changing into it, laid her head down and let sleep overcome her.  
  
*~*~*~*-^_^-*~*~*~*  
  
Upon waking, Arwen made her way over to her wardrobe and removed a work dress. Pulling it over her head, she slipped on a sturdy pair of boots and made her way to the guest wing of her house, where she knew her father, Frodo and Mithrandir would be there.  
  
Coming around the corner, she slammed nose first into someone's back. She would have fallen if not for the two hands that were suddenly supporting her arms. Looking up, her eyes softened and a smile spread across her face.  
  
"Aragorn. You're all right. I was worried about you. I knew that the river wouldn't have killed the Nazgul and I feared that they would have found you before father's warriors found you."  
  
"Ah so it was you who sent them out looking for us. I wondered, since your father and Gandalf have been locked up in Frodo's room since you arrived last night, or so I've been told. Your brothers also had a few things to tell me. Something about the hoof marks that seemed to appear in the entrance to the main house." Aragorn's mouth formed a smile and his eyes danced with merriment as the tips of Arwen's ears turned a suspicious color of red. Aragorn laughed out loud and pulled Arwen closer. Leaning down to whisper in her ear he grew serious. "I am glad you we not hurt. We saw the tracks as we made our way here. They very nearly got you."  
  
"If it had been you riding, they would have succeeded. As I told you. I am the faster rider. Your weight would have slowed her down. Then neither of you would be here, and we wouldn't be having this conversation." Arwen pointed out, wrapping her arms around her love and holding him closer. She sighed as Aragorn's arms reached around behind her and held her close.  
  
"That didn't change the fact that I was scared about letting you go."  
  
She was just about to reply when the door to Frodo's room opened and two figures came out. Seeing her father and Gandalf, Arwen loosened her hold on Aragorn and asked how the hobbit was doing.  
  
"He should be fine. Sam is sitting by him now, and was just heading over to see Bilbo and give him the good news," Gandalf said, walking slowly down the hall toward his old friend's room. As soon as he was around the corner, bot Arwen and Aragorn looked as Elrond. "Father, tell me the truth, what happened? Is Frodo truly going to be alright?"  
  
The elf lord smiled a tired smile. "Yes, Arwen. The young hobbit should be fine. There was a piece of the blade sink deep in his shoulder, and it was making its way toward his heart. Any later and." Elrond's eyes closed. It had been close. To close. They had almost lost the ringbearer before the quest had begun. Opening his eyes again, he smiled a tired smile at his daughter and adopted son of sorts. "If you don't mind, I think I will retire to my room and sleep. It took a lot of concentration and power to keep Frodo from drifting to far. As Mithander said, Samwise Gamgee is with Frodo now, and may the Valar help whoever tries to harm him now."  
  
Smiling one last time, Elrond turned as slowly made his way to his room. He knew that as soon as he got the chance, he must tell Gandalf that the ring cannot stay in Rivendell. It's evil would destroy everything in his home. No, it must be taken and destroyed in Mt. Doom. Though it would have to wait till they young hobbit was better. At the moment, all the halfling's energy was needed just to stay alive. The blade bit might be gone, but there was still a lot of damage yet to repair.  
  
------*~*~*~*-^_^-*~*~*~*------  
  
To my reviewers:  
  
Cona Redsmith ~~ Aww, but it's so much fun embarrassing the guys. I won't promises anything, but if they embarrass themselves, there's nothing I can do about it. ;) You have to let me know what you mom though of it. My mom just roller her eyes and ignored me the moment the words 'Fan-Fiction' were out of my mouth. She's not that big on it.  
  
Queenie ~~ Give her time. Like all good things, she'll take time to develop into a more complex character. She has faults; I just didn't have the chance to introduce them in the first chapter. Thanks for the positive reinforcement. It makes us authors happy.  
  
Sandy ~~ Got you hooked have I? I'll have to let my uncle know. He loved to tease me when we fished that I couldn't catch anything. Looks like I needed to find another pond. (  
  
Mija ~~ Look, Look, Look!! I did continue. Keep reading and let me know what you think.  
  
KarateElf ~~ Well, love, whether you continue to read this or not, is entirely up to you. I'm not forcing you to read this. And as some one pointed out (I don't remember who, but I didn't come up whit this idea, even though it's true) is that the reason there are so many 'girl (or boy)- goes-to-middle-earth stories is that people like them? And if they're not you cup of tea, or you don't like them, then don't read them. I thank you for you conductive criticism. I'm always worried that I messed up on my grammar, or so much description bores people, but it's nice to hear nice things once and a while. 


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